Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-06-02
A THEATER HORROR.

The Opera Comique at Paris Takes Fire
During q Performance - MANY AVes
Lost.
PARIS May 26.-The Opera Comique
caught fire last night, resulting in terri
BILE calamity. The fire broke out during
the performance. The theater was crowded,
and at the first alarm a rush was made Tor
the exits. The fire spread with great ra1
pidity and many persons sprang from the
windows to the ground to avoid being
caught by the flames, only to meet death
by contact with the pavement. Fourteen OF
the persons who threw themselves from the
windows were instantly killed and forty
three were picked up more or less injured,
some of them fatally and many seriously.
The fire broke out during the hrst act
of the opera "Mignon.'' One of the
and the entire stage was Immediately
enveloped in flames. The fire sooD
spread to the whole house. Nine. Merg.
miller, Nine. Tasquin and Bernard We're ON
the stage when the fire broke out All the
actors ran out in stage costume. The audi
ence could have got OFF easily, but the gas
was turned off before all left the building,
and it is feared some were left in the upper
tiers. The roof soon fell in, sending
showers of sparks as far as the Place de la
Bourse.
With the exception of Nine Teller, who
persisted, all the actors escaped, though
several supernumeraries were severely in
jured. Five bodies. terribly burnt, were
conveyed TO the National library. Among
them was the body of a woman clasping
little boy in her arms. The money receipts
were saved, being deposited in the Gdulois
office. The firemen showed the greatest
courage. NM. Goblet, Thibautyn and Greg
non were on the spot soon after the fire
started and remained throughout with the
fremen. The Military Club rendered great
assistance in the work of rcscuing the peo-
pie from the building. Nineteen persons
are known to be dead. Many of these are
supers. The artificial fire apparatus which
had been placed in readiness of the burning
of the palace in the second act rolled down
from its place near the roof and exploded
below.
Women, half clad, carrying costumes,
fled from the stage, screaming. Some OF
the chorus fed with nothing on but their
tights The flames spread with such rapid
ity that in fifteen minutes the stage was
vast furnace. Several actors escaped by
climbing to the roof of the Rue Marivanta,
where they were rescued by fire escapes.
NJ. Tasquin implored the audience to re-
main seated until the exits were opened,
which they did. If they had made a rush
for the doors the loss OF life would have
been terrible. The police outside were I'M
building inquiring for friends inside. One
man who wanted to rescue his brother and
sister raved, tore his hair and menaced
with a stick the people who stopped him
from rushing into the blazing building.
The scene outside was one of the widest
excitement. The falling embers struck
horses in the surrounding streets, caus-
ing them to plunge and rear. The
flames shot out of every window,
into n
streets where the crush terrific. a
figWrante says there were $50 people on the
stage when the fire broke out. She heard
the glass falling like hailstone but told the
other girls not to mind it, but when she
was speaking q column of flames burst
through the wings with a roar and all
rushed pen nell from the stage. Many of
the police were injured.
Only a fortnight ago M. Steenackers
called attention in the Chamber of Depu-
ties to the dangerous Opera Comique, the
oldest theater in Paris. Figaro also called
attention to the same thing after the recent
twelve hour benefit performance. The au-
dienee WAS delayed few minutes by dense
smoke and insu ficient light. Director
Soleili, with his wife and two little
children, escaped without injury. The
killed include four tiremen. There was
not alfrantic rush in the theater, but II is
believed the staircase became blocked.
The iron curtain was lowered in front of
the stage. This prevented the fire from
spreading Immediately to the auditorium,
and allowed the audience to escape. The
men who carried away the money chest
report that when they left the auditorium
it was'Quite empty.
The fire brigade distinguished them
Selves many had marrow escapes. Most
of the casualties were caused by nervous
people. Many persons who were unable to
trust themselves to walk the narrow edge
of the soOrniee round the building jumped
of in terror. One woman cOolly
walked all around the cornlces wh2e
the flames were bursting out above
until she reached the fire escape. The
victims were almost all singers. The
streets in the vicinity of the burned theater
We're crowded until early hour this
morning The doctors attended many per-
sons who have been burned. Sewcll, solio-
ltor of the British embassy, said the audi
ence showed great ,calmness when the
alarm was given. When the gas waf
extinguished he CROPPED his way
to the balcony, saw the peo-
pie in the street laying straw
mattresses to receive the persons jumping
from the windows. He was ultimately res
cued by fipemen.
The Havas News Agency, of Paris, places
;the number of persons killed and injured by
1.-THE fire at sixty. The ,theater was COM
N0lx, 1a-